


Dancing In The Winter Palace

by MageOfTheLufaines



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age Quest: Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, Fluff, M/M, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 15:52:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5381069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MageOfTheLufaines/pseuds/MageOfTheLufaines
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bull notices that Dorian seems alone in the Winter Palace. He decides to help make him feel happier.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing In The Winter Palace

The fresh air of the gardens was a welcomed relief as Bull stepped outside from the main ballroom where Orlesian nobles and the Inquisition were celebrating Empress Celene’s rescue. They were now finally able to enjoy the rest of the night without worrying too much about who might want to kill the Empress, a welcome relief for the Inquisitor herself. Bull knew she needed a break for just one night, especially after what had happened.

He sighed heavily, stretching out his aching muscles. Standing around and listening to the nobilities racist remarks wasn’t what he was cut out for, even if there had been the promise of fighting. Still, he had been ordered to fit in and not act like they were infiltrating, and Bull was pretty damn good at that. It helped that the nobles thought he was just a mindless beast not capable of intellectual thought anyway.

Luckily at this time of the evening, most of the attendees were now inside dancing and enjoying themselves, so the gardens were relatively quiet save one or two people. His eye swept across the scene, both as a habit and a precaution, before noticing a figure standing by the fountain. With a small smile, he decided to make his way over.

“You look like you could use some company.”

Bull noticed the slight flinch from Dorian as he turned to look at Bull, before his lips curled up at one end in his usual grin. “Whatever gave that impression?”

“I just had a hunch,” Bull replied, noticing the look he got from that. Of course Dorian didn’t believe it was just a hunch, he knew him well enough by now.

“I hope Analiese is finally getting a chance to relax and enjoy the evening,” Dorian commented after a few seconds of silence between the two, perching himself on the edge of the fountain. He seemed bored, despite having spent the journey talking about how he was looking forward to the party.

“I’m pretty sure she’s dancing with Cullen now.”

“Cullen? Dancing? Who knew he would actually agree!” Dorian laughed, a light sound that Bull found he’d missed. Dorian had seemed reserved this evening, obviously trying to impress Orlesians that had simply ignored him.

“Cullen’s pretty smitten with Analiese. He’d do anything to make her happy, even dancing.”

Dorian gave Bull a small smile before sighing, draining the last of his wine. “Shame I haven’t been able to dance with someone…” he muttered, quiet enough for most people to completely miss it. Not Bull though.

“Dorian Pavus has not found someone to dance with?” Bull gasped, playfully mocking him. Dorian glared at him, swatting his arm lightly.

“Surprisingly no one has been intrigued by my witty charm and ravishing looks. Their loss though, I am simply wonderful at dancing.”

Ah there it was, the snide remarks that often meant Dorian was hiding something. Obviously being ignored in an environment he was born to be part of had taken its toll on the poor mage. So, instead of opening up, he used arrogant and egocentric humour to hide how he truly felt.

Bull really couldn’t have that.

He stepped back, noticing the way Dorian’s look fell. “Are you going to leave me too? Let me mope a little longer by myself?”

In response, Bull stood in front of Dorian and bowed, as much as he could without hitting him with a horn anyway. The gasp from Dorian made him fight the urge to grin as he spoke. “Dorian of House Pavus, most recently of Minrathous,” the look Dorian gave him made him break the noble facade he was trying to keep as he smiled. “Care for a dance?”

A look of doubt crossed Dorian’s eyes, though it was hard to catch if you weren’t paying attention. “But the Orlesians… If they saw us, a Qunari and Tevinter mage dancing together. Oh the depravity!”

Bull straightened up, getting ready to head back indoors. He’d only wanted to make Dorian have at least one good thing to say about the party, yet he realised the mage was still uncertain about public displays of affection, especially in Orlais. 

“I understand. Forgive me for-”

“I accept.”

Bull blinked in surprise before his lips curled up into a grin. “You accept?”

“Yes, you big lummox, I want to dance with you,” Dorian huffed, the look of agitation he’d shot him softening.

“Don’t worry, the garden’s pretty clear this time in the evening. People want to celebrate the Empress’ safety in the typical Orlesian fashion.”

“Murder at a party is typical Orlesian fashion,” Dorian reminded him.

Bull just snorted before reaching out a hand, placing it on Dorian’s waist gently. Dorian stiffened up yet soon relaxed, his left hand resting against Bull’s shoulder, his right ready to be held by Bull’s. The sound of cheering could be heard from inside as the previous musical number ended, another one starting up soon after. Bull gave Dorian a gentle look before he took Dorian’s hand, engulfing it in his grip. That earned him a chuckle from Dorian, which he was happy to hear.

“Just don’t expect anything too fancy. The Qun didn’t teach me how to dance with a ‘Vint,” Bull told him, snickering at the roll of Dorian’s eyes.

“I admit, I’m surprised you know how to dance at all,” Dorian confessed as Bull started to move, Dorian moving in time with him. Even with the vast difference in height and size, they seemed to move perfectly in sync with one another. It was like how they seemed to read one another’s movements in battle, magic and weapon working simultaneously with no fuss. Only this was much more refined, the dancing simple but elegant.

“Eh, I’ve been around a lot. Ben-Hassrath remember?”

“Point taken.”

The silence that settled between them was comfortable, the soft melody of the music just about reaching them loud enough so they could keep in time. Bull didn’t move too far from the area Dorian had been waiting, not wishing to attract unwanted attention. Bull could handle whatever the Orlesian nobility threw at him, he’d been there before, but he felt unsure that Dorian could. On the other hand, the fact he was willing to dance at all might have proven Bull wrong.

After a while of dancing, he felt Dorian’s head rest against his chest. He felt a swell of love from within, a feeling that, had he not been Tal-Vashoth, he’d push away and disregard. Now though, he accepted the feeling, the hold on his waist tightening, pulling Dorian closer to him. They continued like that, lost in a world that was just the two of them for that moment in time, until the song playing ended to applause. When the applause was finished, Bull stopped and waited for Dorian to move away, yet the mage just stayed where he was.

Bull smiled at that, letting go of his right hand, which ended up being placed on Bull’s waist, reaching up to stroke Dorian’s hair.

“You still with me big guy?” he asked softly, reaching down to press his nose into Dorian’s black, styled hair.

“Mhm…” came the muffled reply from Dorian, and Bull’s smile only got bigger.

He was about to say something else when a polite cough caught his attention. Dorian looked up at the noise, his cheeks turning red at who was there. Bull raised an eyebrow before turning to see Analiese standing before them, a polite smile on her face.

“Enjoying the party, you two?” she asked.

“I-It wasn’t what-” Dorian started before cutting himself off.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted, I was just wondering where Bull had gone to, that was all.”

Bull noticed the way her ears twitched, a thing that happened only when she was extremely happy. He couldn’t help but grin, placing an arm around Dorian’s waist.

“Thanks for the concern, boss. We’re having a wonderful time,” Bull replied, noticing Dorian stiffen up. He slowly rubbed his back, letting him know that Analiese was okay with what had happened.

“I’m glad,” here she gave Dorian a gentle yet sympathetic look. “I’ll leave you two alone for a little while longer. Come back in and find me when you’re done.”

Bull nodded and watched as she walked off, before hearing Dorian’s muffled groan, his hands covering his face.

“She caught us dancing!” he cried out, peaking at Bull from between his fingers. It seemed he didn’t care that he was ruffling up his moustache in the process.

“Dorian, she doesn’t mind that we’re together, you know that.”

“Yes but that was when… when it wasn’t _something_.”

“When it was just a fling you mean,” he replied, moving Dorian and sitting him down on the edge of the fountain. His hands wrapped around Dorian’s wrists carefully before prying his hands away. Dorian tried to avert his gaze, but ended up staring at him.

“What if she…” he began, his bottom lip catching between his teeth.

“She won’t tell anyone, you know that. The more important thing is did you like it?” Bull asked, keeping his gaze.

Dorian swallowed before nodding slowly. “Very much so. I've… it wasn’t often that I got to dance with someone I truly liked back in Tevinter. This is different. Different but welcomed.”

“How about we do it again some other time when we’re alone? We can try some fancier moves if you’d like,” Bull suggested with a grin.

Dorian thought for a few seconds before laughing and nodding. “I’d like that a lot. Now can I have a kiss before we have to head back in and pretend we’re not madly in love?”

“Certainly, kadan.”


End file.
